


Whatever Shape You May Take

by kitausuret



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Venom (Comics)
Genre: Different Shapes of Goo, Drabbles, Eddie and the Symbiote being soft, Eventual Symbiot3, Evolution of a relationship, Flash Struggles With Feelings (and expressing them), Idiots in Love, Multi, Other, The Symbiote Has Many Forms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22626073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitausuret/pseuds/kitausuret
Summary: Throughout its life, the Venom Symbiote has taken on many shapes. It has been the exact replica of a suit, or just a mass of goo, or a series of tendrils, or even taken its own bipedal shape, to say nothing of its many looks with many hosts. But its two greatest hosts are those who influenced it the most - whatever shape it chooses to take.(Symbruary Days 5-6-7: Goo, Bonded, and Human forms)
Relationships: Eddie Brock/Flash Thompson/Venom Symbiote, Eddie Brock/Venom Symbiote, Flash Thompson & Venom Symbiote
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25
Collections: SYMBRUARY





	Whatever Shape You May Take

**Author's Note:**

> Historian's note: First drabble takes place around the San Francisco time, second is during Space Knight, third is approximately the same AU as [We See Through a Glass, Darkly](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22156048) (where Eddie/the symbiote and their relationship survive the Maker, and Flash survives being microwaved by the Red Goblin), and fourth takes place in some future time a few years down the road where everything is okay.

“What do you like?”

Its host spoke aloud to it in the quiet of the night. It was still not used to this. Its First had used it like a tool and a weapon, silencing its screams as it struggled and ultimately failed to fight him. It dared not even think his name, lest it mar the psyche of this far more wonderful individual. Even its last host, which it still occasionally found a pang of longing for, had never spoken to it; had never _asked_ it what _it_ wanted.

The symbiote responded to the question with an inquisitive, “mrr?” once it had poked itself out from his chest. 

Eddie smiled at it fondly and caressed its mass in a way it knew denoted affection. “Of course you prefer to be bonded - I feel the same - but you are a shapeshifting being.” He sat up on the cheap motel bed and urged more of it out so he could cradle it close. “But is there anything that feels… natural? Or comfortable?” He graced the backs of his fingertips at the place right under where it had formed eyespots - that was where Eddie’s gaze always went to, it had learned. “You know I like to feel you. Inside… outside…”

It pooled more of itself out, carefully, until it existed as a mass of tendrils that rolled over its host’s limbs, spilling off the side of the bed and nearly to the floor. The symbiote shifted, finding a spot on Eddie’s chest where it could feel his heartbeat through his chest. This was its favourite part, for certain. The strong, steady pump. The constant changing. The way it raced in the heat of a moment, or slowed in the rare times they were at rest. The symbiote made a noise like a purr and settled itself down. 

Slowly, Eddie lay back down. His thoughts seemed complicated - amusement, adoration, wonder, and one other it could not quite place. It sent back its own pulse of contentment, pleased by this development. It rather enjoyed the feeling of being both bonded and open to the air of this still-strange world. 

And with that, they slept.

\-----

“You don’t have to keep the shape, you know.”

It did not have to turn its formed head to look at its host, but out of habit, it did anyhow. The symbiote met Flash’s gaze as they lounged beside each other on the small sofa in his - or rather, _their_ \- quarters. Given how snugly Flash had settled up against its massive form, his breathing having slowed to a calm and steady pace, reading a fantasy novel as if they were not a thousand parsecs from home, the symbiote did not understand this change.

“I can practice a different shape-?”

“No!” Flash said, a little too quickly. A blush rose to his cheeks as he fumbled with his book. He quickly folded over the corner of his page and set the book aside, turning to face the symbiote as he often did. “I mean, I really like this shape, it’s really- It’s very _you_ . But I also know it’s exhausting, and I don’t want you to- I don’t want you to think that I _expect_ this of you. Or whatever. I don’t care what you look like, you’re still my partner and I still… care about you. Like a partner. You know.”

The symbiote let itself frown despite the fact that all it would take would be one connecting tendril and it could know Flash’s every thought. But its host tended to prefer to at least _try_ words, useless and redundant as they may have been within the bond. Its memories of past hosts were still muddled by the Hive’s suppression, but it had the sense Flash was not the first to like _words_ , too. 

It took Flash’s hand in one of its claws, feeling the lines and scars and calluses from a long life lived. “If I may?”

“Um, yeah, sure,” he said. His cheeks warmed with a brighter color. But he smiled, and so the symbiote let itself thread them together, touching its host’s mind. 

In some ways, it felt a deeper connection now than it did when they were fighting or strategizing or moving as one. The Hive had called Flash _noble_ , and indeed the symbiote agreed, but it also knew that Flash was considered strange for how he cared so deeply about it. It searched his racing, sometimes confusing thoughts. There were feelings and emotions that Flash lay bare as his own skin and others that he locked away even from himself. But eventually it found the notion-

“You worry I am not doing this for myself,” it said aloud. 

Flash grimaced and scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. “Kinda? I think it’s really great you want to improve and grow - trust me, I want to do the same thing. But pal, you don’t have to impress me. You already mean more to me than… well, most people in my life. I’m sure you know that, being in my head and all but-”

“Flash.”

He swallowed thickly. The symbiote placed its other claw atop Flash’s hand.

“Thank you. But do not worry.” It tried for a calming, reassuring pulse. “I enjoy seeing you on your own as much as you do, I. And I assure you, my training is as much for myself as yours is for you _and_ the bond.”

“O-okay.” A pause, and then he reached up to touch the symbiote’s face. “I also really like talking to you. I know it’s probably weird for you while we’re still figuring out the whole inter-mind-communication thing, but you have a nice… voice. But I like it just as much in my head. I just want you to know, if you ever have a day where you just wanna be a goo blob, I support you being a goo blob.”

And with that, they settled again, and the symbiote’s form loosened - just a little.

\-----

“It’s weird to see you like that.”

Venom tilted their head at Flash. **“‘Weird’?”** For a moment, the bond struggled, Eddie’s annoyance contrasting with the faintest bit of sadness from the symbiote. Since the incident that had left Eddie shaken to his core and the symbiote worried about their collective instability, they were staying with the one ally they knew they could trust.

Much to Eddie’s chagrin.

**“We have been bonded back together for quite some time now-”**

“I know, I know,” Flash interrupted. He put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “It’s just, when we were together, I mean together as _partners_ , Venom could take his - um, its own shape. And it looked kinda like…” He motioned towards their large frame. “Like that.”

The symbiote nudged forward, just a little, until Eddie relented and let it address its old host. **“A subconscious channeling.”** The shape of its spider-symbol shifted until it more or less matched what it had taken on during that time. **“In some ways the symbol mirrored that of your own idol, and that of Anti-Venom. A time of great change and influence, for both of us, for better or worse.”**

“Right, that makes sense.” 

They didn’t miss the way Flash’s face fell when the symbol reverted back to their usual look. Eddie pushed a thought at it: “ _He’s just jealous. We shouldn’t be here, it’s not fair to either of us-”_

_Not fair to you and Flash? Or you and me?_

Flash cleared his throat and turned a wheel on his chair back towards the kitchen. “Well, I gotta finish cleaning up and I know you guys were gonna patrol, so…”

**“We will see you.”**

“Okay. Good. I mean, fine. Be careful.”

And with that, they slipped out the open apartment window, thoughts of times past still haunting them into the night.

\-----

**“What do you think?”**

They watched Eddie as he stared, slack-jawed. Flash had been the one pushing for the question, though the symbiote suggested they just bond with him and find out that way.

**“We hope you don’t mind the symbol, it is partially inspired by you, and partially by the one we took after the first return to Klyntar-”**

“I love it,” Eddie finally said. He slowly got to his feet, grin widening as he did so. Together, they had a few inches on him, but he still didn’t have to look up far to meet their gaze. He took their claw, running his hand over the white palm; turning it over to the solid white patch on the back. He then traced the legs of the spider-symbol, and their form rippled wherever his warm, soft hands touched. Their facial armor was not as severely pointed as it had been originally. Now, it more closely mirrored a normal face shape with the subtle look of cascading plates over their mouth. 

He took their face in his hands and the armor faded to the more normal, familiar mouth. He kissed them deeply and when he pulled away, his eyes were glistening. 

It felt Flash nudge at it, and it pulled away, only to re-solidify in a simplified version of what they had just taken. Flash took Eddie’s hands. 

“Eddie, hey, are you okay?” He frowned worriedly. “If it’s too much, we can take the old form, and you know it’s mostly just while we’re in space that V and I will be together-”

“No, no, it’s not that.” Eddie laughed and shook his head through his tears. He then turned to the symbiote. “I was just thinking… years ago, I asked you what you liked. What made you comfortable. It was such a stupid little curiosity, but now seeing you, you’ve come so far.” He touched Flash’s face. “Thanks to you.”

“Thanks to _both_ of you,” the symbiote corrected. 

“V’s right. Eddie, you were the first one to really show our partner love. You were open and unafraid and, hell, I wish I had been that stellar at first. Regardless,” he said before the symbiote could cut in with its usual protest, “of whether or not you were coming straight off of three years with Gargan.”

“Love, come here. I am _so proud_ of you…”

Encouraged, the symbiote slackened its shape and dissolved into a more shapeless mass, both thick ropes of tendrils and thin strands wrapping haphazardly around its beloved. It then stretched itself out to its other bondmate and pulled him in as well, eliciting a bright, delighted laugh. 

And with that, it knew they loved it, whatever shape it decided to take.


End file.
